


A Quiet Moment

by loves_books



Category: The A-Team (2010), The A-Team - All Media Types
Genre: Allergies, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 05:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19056577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loves_books/pseuds/loves_books
Summary: Hannibal should’ve been paying more attention to his lover; he simply wasn’t sure how long Face had been gone when he looked up from his novel to see the empty deckchair by his side. He left Murdock reading a comic book in the grass and BA tinkering with the van, and went quickly in search of his missing boy.





	A Quiet Moment

Hannibal didn’t put two and two together until quite late in the afternoon, though in retrospect he’d realise there had been little signs all day, if he’d only been paying enough attention. Face had been a little quieter than usual, a little more reserved, a little slower to join in with Murdock’s clowning and BA’s laughter. He’d been a little pale beneath his perpetual tan, and a little bleary-eyed, staying in the shade rather than enjoying the warm spring sunshine. 

Lots of little things, nothing big that would have set Hannibal’s internal alarm bells ringing. They were in that quiet period between ‘missions’, in a safe house free from watching eyes, and all of them were winding down after the challenges of the previous job, making the most of early nights and long lie-ins, lazing around in the sun and slobbing out in front of the television.

Still, Hannibal should’ve been paying more attention to his lover; he simply wasn’t sure how long Face had been gone when he looked up from his novel to see the empty deckchair by his side. He left Murdock reading a comic book in the grass and BA tinkering with the van, and went quickly in search of his missing boy. 

The inside of the house was shadowy after the brightness and warmth of the sunny yard, and Hannibal had to blink hard for a few seconds until his eyes adjusted. He checked the lounge first, then their bedroom, until he finally found Face in the dim coolness of the den, stretched out on his back on the sofa with a box of tissues within reach, unwrapping one of his sugar-free throat sweets. Hannibal felt a pang deep in his chest at the sight, realising immediately what the problem was.

“Bad day, huh?” Hannibal tried to keep his tone soft yet light as he leaned against the doorframe, fighting to bury his sympathy, knowing how much his lover hated being pitied.

Face simply nodded in response, his head resting on an overstuffed cushion, as he popped the sweet into his mouth and immediately sucked hard on it, his cheeks hollowing out in a manner that seemed all too familiar to Hannibal – Face was incredibly talented at giving a good blowjob, though this was neither the time nor the place for such thoughts.

For a moment there was silence, allowing Hannibal to simply drink in the gorgeous sight of his lover’s long, lean, toned body at rest. Face had slipped out of his t-shirt and kicked off his sneakers, lying there now wearing only his baggy board shorts which sat very low on his hips. Face’s stomach rose and fell gently with every breath as his hands came to rest there, a faint sheen of sweat visible over his body even in the shadows of the room. 

Hannibal just waited, and watched, allowing Face the time to gather his thoughts.

“It kinda snuck up on me,” Face eventually said, his voice a little muffled by the sweet in his mouth, though Hannibal could just make out the tell-tale huskiness. “Every year, it still surprises me. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.”

Hannibal crossed the room to his lover’s side and perched gently on the edge of the sofa by Face’s hip with a soft sigh. “You’ve been taking your pills,” he commented, carrying on quickly when a tiny frown appeared on Face’s forehead. “But you know that’s not always enough. I wish it was.”

“I hate it.” But Face sounded resigned rather than upset, and Hannibal smiled down into bright blue eyes – eyes that were lightly rimmed in red – as he reached up to stroke those soft caramel curls he loved so much.

“Can I do anything?”

A shrug, Face’s cheeks hollowing again as he sucked at the sweet, rolling his head slightly into Hannibal’s gentle touch. “Don’t think so, but thanks for asking. It’s just a touch of hay fever.” His voice turned wry. “The plants will always have their day.”

Every year, no matter how religiously Face took his antihistamines as pollen season approached, there seemed to be a day when his body simply rebelled against the careful regime he’d worked so hard to put into place. It was never as bad as it had been a few years ago, back when Face had first developed the allergy out of nowhere and before he’d figured out the best combination of pills and nasal sprays and eyedrops to keep the worst of his symptoms at bay, but the bad days still came.

Face could work through it if he had to, of course, but right now Hannibal could see his younger lover was allowing himself the dubious luxury of feeling it all.

“Headache?” Hannibal asked, dropping his voice to a near-whisper as Face’s eyelids fluttered closed. 

“Yes,” came the actual-whispered reply. “My head feels so heavy.”

“Sore throat, obviously.” Hannibal moved from stroking Face’s hair to scratching very gently over his scalp, resting his other hand over Face’s chest and rubbing soothing circles over firm pecs, relishing the warm skin beneath his palm and the steady beating of Face’s heart. “Nose?”

A faint sniffle, and a sigh. “A bit stuffed up, but not so bad.”

Could be worse, then, though Hannibal could only imagine how miserable his lover still felt. None of the team were much good at being sick or injured, and the fact that there was little else Face could do to avoid pollen – short of moving into an air-tight vault for the rest of the spring and summer – made it worse somehow. 

Hannibal thought back over all the times he’d tried to help Face before, remembering the little things that had seemed to help soothe his suffering lover. “You fancy a bath?” he offered after a second. “Or a cool shower? I could wash your hair for you.”

Face hummed in thought, then, “No, I’m fine thanks.”

“How about an eye mask? There’s one of those cucumber ones you love in the freezer, remember.”

“John, baby…” Face squinted one eye open a fraction, pinning Hannibal with a particular look as his lips quirked up in an amused smile. “I’m really fine. It’s not so bad, not really, I just needed to come inside for a while. Though if you want to help…?”

“Anything.” Hannibal meant it; he hated seeing Face suffer, in any way.

Face arched his neck a fraction, pushing his head further into Hannibal’s scratching fingertips, and brought both hands up to rest lightly on Hannibal’s where it was moving over his chest. “You could keep right on doing what you’re doing now,” he breathed, snuffling a little before crunching down on what was left of his throat sweet with a small smile. “This is nice.”

Hannibal had to smile himself at that, before leaning down to press a tender kiss to his lover’s slightly parted lips. “I can do that,” he murmured, nuzzling Face’s stubbly chin with his nose. “For just as long as you want.”

And as Face closed his eyes fully again, letting his heavy head sink into the cushion beneath Hannibal’s hand, Hannibal settled himself further into the sofa, feeling the heat of his lover’s body against his own. 

Later, if Face got some rest and felt a little better, Hannibal might kiss him again, deeper and longer. Later, he might move his hand down from his lover’s chest to his firm stomach, then lower still, slipping inside those loose shorts to the warmth between Face’s legs. He might even slide those shorts off completely, stripping his own clothes away, and they might make love right there on the sofa, while their teammates remaining blissfully unaware just outside the house. 

Later, maybe. For now, this was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> A sequel-of-sorts to 'Kill The Plants', though I haven't linked the two as I think this stands well enough alone if you haven't read that earlier story - I'm trying to write my way out of a touch of writer's block and this seemed like a worthwhile little exercise to me, and hopefully there is enough here for any readers to enjoy too.


End file.
